ith
agate as many of the previous ones had become filled with green earth.
Then an ample infusion of chalcedony pervaded the mass. Numerous doors
again opened; some took in a portion of the chalcedony, and then shut;
some remained open, and became filled with it; and many more that had
been previously filled by the green earth opened their doors again, and
the chalcedony pervading the green porous mass, converted it into
heliotrope. Then an infusion of lime took place. Doors opened, many of
which had been hitherto shut, save for a short time, when the green
earth infusion obtained, and became filled with lime; other doors
opened for a brief space, and received lime enough to form a few
crystals. Last of all, there was a pure quartzose infusion, and doors
opened, some for a longer time, some for a shorter, just as on previous
occasions. Now, by mechanical means of this character,--by such an
arrangement of successive infusions, and such a device of shutting and
opening of doors,--the phenomena exhibited by the vesicles could be
produced. There is no difficulty in working the problem mechanically, if
we be allowed to assume in our data successive infusions, well-fitted
doors, and watchful door-keepers; and if any one can work it
chemically,--certainly without door-keepers, but with such doors and
such infusions as he can show to have existed,--he shall have cleared up
the mystery of the Scuir More. I have given their various cargoes to all
its many vesicles by mechanical means, at no expense of ingenuity
whatever. Are there any of my readers prepared to give it to them by
means purely chemical?

There is a solitary house in the opening of the valley, over which the
Scuir More stands sentinel,--a house so solitary, that the entire
breadth of the island intervenes between it and the nearest human
dwelling. It is inhabited by a shepherd and his wife,--the sole
representatives in the valley of a numerous population, long since
expatriated to make way for a few flocks of sheep, but whose ranges of
little fields may still be seen green amid the heath on both sides, for
nearly a mile upwards from the opening. After descending along the
precipices of the Scuir, we struck across the valley, and, on scaling
the opposite slope sat down on the summit to rest us, about a hundred
yards over the house of the shepherd. He had seen us from below, when
engaged among the bloodstones, and had seen, withal, that we were not
coming his way; a